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At EL SOL I asked the kids, why is soda not good for you? Many did not know, “it takes good”! We talked about the difference between soda and juice—some sodas have about 38 g of sugar per serving (we measured it out in a glass—that’s a lot of sugar! MUCHO AZCUAR!) and juice usually has about 21-24 g of sugar (still that is a lot of sugar). How can we make a healthier option that still tastes good? We made a recipe that used only 10-12 g per serving: “Healthy Soda”

½ juice and ½ “bubbling water” or seltzer water and lots of ice! Healthy Soda!

Westgate Recreation Center welcomed Michael from the South FL Water Management District. He is an ecologist. Michael brought in samples of native plants for the students to hold and discuss. Why are native plants important? They use less natural resources and they bring balance to the environment. They use less water, which is important. Where does most of our water supply come from? The faucet? No! The Everglades. He rides an airboat around the Everglades and he sees alligators! Wow! The big question, “do alligators eat people?” No! Only if there was a very big mistake, or an accident. Alligators normally eat small animals such as turtles, raccoons or feral pigs and of course, fish!

A trip to the local library taught the students at Westgate about how to search for materials on line or in person. Each student had the opportunity to look for books about gardening or cooking. They then had the chance to look on the computers. Many of the students did not have library cards and so each brought home an application for his/her parents.

A Recipe for making homemade pizza–Heather made the dough with yeast and flour and each student made their own pizzas. We wrote the recipes and talked about all the ingredients in Spanish and English. We even made our own homemade pizza sauce!

Suli has been living in the US for almost a year and she is learning English. At Read a Recipe for Literacy at El Sol she is able to have fun with friends from Guatemala just like her, make a fun recipe and learn to read and write in English.

Our Mission

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RL works to strengthen the community by empowering its members with better communication skills. And we do that in a way that may surprise you. We use recipes – literal and figurative ones – to build literacy. “Our recipes” are created with the help of our local partners. Because of their hands on involvement, the children learn about their local environment and also build healthier lifestyles. Our programs take place in Florida and New York and are expanding internationally, beginning in Italy.